The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection for the Veteran's back and left great toe disabilities, as the claims were not filed within one year of the prior final denials.
The deciding factor: The decisions became final because they were not appealed by way of a notice of disagreement or requesting higher-level review or supplemental claim application within a year of the decision. The earliest possible effective date for service connection is the date the application to reopen was filed with VA, which in this case is April 10, 2024.
- Claimed conditions
- back condition, left great toe pain (previously broken toe, left toe sprain)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 14, 2025
- Citation
- A25043560
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for a back condition, finding no evidence of a nexus between the in-service incident and the current disability.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for a back condition, finding that the evidence does not support a causal relationship between the Veteran's current back disability and his active-duty service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for various conditions, including a back condition, right and left lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, neck condition, upper extremity radiculopathy, bilateral flatfoot, right foot plantar fasciitis, and right ankle pain, as the current evidence is inadequate to make a decision.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board remands the claims for service connection for back, left wrist, left and right knee, and left and right shoulder conditions due to missing personnel records and an inadequate VA medical opinion.
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